Breathless

Author's note:
I was inspired to write this story because being in high school, I have a front row seat to all...
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Author's note: I was inspired to write this story because being in high school, I have a front row seat to all of the cliques (and all the drama they create). I believe that the entire high school food chain of populars vs. unpopulars and all the sub-levels that go into those two categories are a mind set that takes up residence because we let it continue. I hope that Lexi's story, and all the editing that I can't help myself from doing in free time, sends the message that popularity and following the crowd can be a really stupid thing to do. Individuality is something to be treasured.
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Chapter Six

A car pulled in front of my house at seven o’ clock the next night. I smoothed my freshly washed hair and pulled a little on my short shorts. The cami was a little itchy, with its purple sequins and all, but with the mini sweater, I could stand the itch.
Just as I put on my longest coat, the horn honked and I ran out to the truck. A nice looking woman sat in the driver’s seat. The car was empty except for her. Where was Blake?
“Hey, Hon, I’m Andrea DeMendo. Nice to meet ya.” The stout woman looked me up and down. Suddenly, I was glad I wore my knee length coat so I seemed more proper.
“Hi, I’m Lexi Catrombe.”
“It’s good to finally meet one of Blake’s girlfriends. The last one I never met and she gave us some trouble. But now that I know you, you wont give us a problem.” She said this more as a command rather than a thought. I nodded yes, then looked out the car window. She was driving way above the speed limit and I was getting nauseas.
“Do you like pizza? I got it delivered.”
“Pizza? Blake said you were making pot roast.”
“Oh, he loves pot roast. I haven’t made it in years. To much work.”
We pulled up to Blake’s house and I stepped out of the car. Nothing stirred in the house, leave a single light on in the front room.
“Come on in. It’s ok.” She left me standing next to the car as she walked through the front door. The two story house intimidated me. It looked like a broken down prison. Or maybe it was just my mind.
In the end, I went up the front steps and peeped inside the door. No one was to be seen. A light came from the far end of the hall, but along the hall was a bunch of doors. In my mind, prisoners moaned and yelled behind them, pleading innocent even though no one could hear them. I hurried down the hall and came into a modern kitchen. Everything was stainless steel. Mrs.DeMendo sat at a bar, eating pizza and reading a book. Blake came around the corner and smiled at me. “Welcome.”
“Hey,” my voice shook. Was it my nerves? I had been so confident at home. Maybe it was the presence of his mom.
“Want some pizza?” he asked.
“Where’s the pot roast?”
“Oh, uh, we didn’t have the right ingredients.”
Blake’s mom snorted from behind her book.
“Sure, pizza sounds great.”
Just as great as shoving a live fish down my throat, you lieing, low life. . .
“Cool.”
We both took some sausage and spinach pizza then sat at the table. Blake’s mom stayed with us during dinner. We talked mainly about homeschool (again) and they asked me questions about my life. When I was born, did I like pickles, where did I live, blah blah blah.
Soon after the last question, Blake’s mom left to “pee” and never came back. Then Blake started moving closer and closer until the thigh of his pant leg was touching mine.
“Where’s your grandma?” I asked, trying to shake off some of the pressure he was making me feel.
“In her room. She lives there mostly.” He grabbed the back of my neck and I was forced to be near his lips. His breath reeked. I’m sure mine did to, although I hadn’t touched my pizza.
“Blake, I have to go home. My mom -”
“Never needs to know.” He kissed me then. A hard kiss. There were no sparks. There was no love. I jumped away but he came after me. I fled out of the house, thinking he would stay but he didn’t. He called my name as I ran down the street. I didn’t stop. That night was when I realized we didn’t truly have a connection. It was all in my head. Everything I had hoped for in Blake had been made up in my head. How could I have been so stupid? I lost Maci for a lie. I lost a kiss to a lie. I lost my dignity to a lie.
There I was, running from my lie, in my provocative outfit, crying tears of shame, when a car pulled over the hill. I recognized the SUV even through the dark.
“Maci! Help! Help!” I screamed and jumped up and down. The front lights blinked and the car pulled over. I jumped inside and screamed for her mom to lock the doors.
“What are you doing here?” Maci handed me a tissue.
“Running from -” but as I looked out the front window, Blake was nowhere to be seen.
“Running from what?”
“The. . .the dark,” I finished.
“Huh?”
“I, I got locked out of my house and tried to find someone to help me, but I got scared of the dark and started crying. Thank goodness you came here.”
I know what you’re thinking. All I have to say is that my pride took over. Maci would have blown everything into an I-told-you-so moment and kept it there for the rest of my life. After tonight, I didn’t think I could stand it.
“Well, we can bring you home but don’t think we’re friends again. Wait - why are you wearing. . .that?”
“I was dancing in my room and I got hot so I put this on.”
“Then how’d you get locked out?” Maci asked.
“I went to pay the pizza man and came back, but the door was locked.” At least I was covered if she smelled any pizza.
“Next time be more careful.”
“I will. I will.”

Maci’s mom dropped me off at home and sped away. I let myself in through the back door and collapsed on the couch. I would never make the mistake of being alone with Blake again. Never. My biggest regret was that it took until he forcefully kissed me to realize that I had made a fool out of myself.
The good news was that it was Friday night and on Monday, I would have a plan to get things back on course again. Maci would be my friend, and Blake would be out of my life.
Well, at least I was right about one thing.

The next morning I slept in as late as possible, pretending that if I slept long enough, last night’s events would go away. The thing that woke me up was a nightmare. I was a prisoner in Blake’s front hall. I would scream but no one could hear me. His mother laughed “Foolish girl, foolish girl!” every time she walked by. Blake appeared after she left. He unlocked my prison door and tried to do something to me. He never did, though. I woke up too quickly.
Once I was awake, I padded softly into the kitchen and got a glass of milk. I had taken a sip of it when I got a call on my home phone. I answered it and said hello.
“Lexi, it’s me.”
“Blake DeMendo, you leave me alone.” Fury built up inside my heart. I wanted to smash the phone to pieces, as if he was actually in there.
“Please forgive me. I didn’t mean to -”
“You’re going to have to do a whole lot more than call me if you want my forgiveness.”
“My actions were completely uncalled for. It wasn’t the right moment. I -”
“Look, even if it had been ‘the right moment’ I would have responded just the same. All you’ve done is lie to me. I’m not surprised your old girlfriend. . .” I stopped myself.
“That who?” Blake’s voice grew deeper, more menacing at the mention of his old girlfriend.
“That nothing,” I stuttered.
“How do you know about her?” he growled.
“A, a rumor.”
“And what was that rumor?”
“That you, that you. . .”
“That I WHAT?” he yelled.
“Raped her,” I whispered. Blake was truly scaring me now.
“Anything else?”
“No.” Was there something else? Another secret?
“Good.”
Then he hung up.